Woman’s Cathartic Crochet Leads to Good Cause

Yolanda George lost her little brother in a tragic car crash. In order to cope with her grief, she began to crochet. She eventually decided to start a fund in her brother’s name utilizing the sales from her crocheted items. What a powerful way to turn crafting as catharsis into a productive use of time and energy that honors a loved one!

The Crochet Catharsis

Yolanda George’s story touched my heartstrings when I read it in the news. Her and her little brother were very close, often mistaken for twins when they were younger, and he was only 32 when he passed away recently and unexpectedly. He was in a car accident that was likely caused by an asthma attack.

During the period of grief following her brother’s death Yolanda began to crochet scarves – many, many scarves. It was something that she could do to get her mind off of the grief. I’ve heard many stories about crocheting through grief and seen how it helps people in so many ways so I can completely understand how the meditative, soothing productivity of the yarn over would help Yolanda as she went through this difficult time.

The Crochet Cause

Many people do what Yolanda did – crochet to get through a tough time. For some it turns into something more, though, and that was the case for her. She got the idea to use her crochet skills to sells scarves in order to raise money to create a fund in her brother’s name. This was spurred in part by the fact that he was the first one to ever wear one of her first crochet scarves when she began the craft just about one year ago. It was also prompted by a desire to carry on her brother’s desire to help troubled youth; the money she raises from the sale of her novelty yarn scarves is going to help college-bound teens from troubled backgrounds.

Benefits of Crocheting for Charity

You don’t have to be ambitious enough to start your own fund like Yolanda did to experience the benefit of helping others with crochet. Many people crochet for charity. Choosing a charity that is close to your heart is a great way to help yourself along in your own healing process, because it gives you a tangible way that you can offer something to others who are going through what you may have gone through in your own life.

What cause would you like to crochet for? Share your stories in the comments!